Trailer connection.



I, E. LITTEN.

TRAILER CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, I9l].

l 276,5Q8. Y Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

ATTORNEYS IRA E. LITTEN, F ORANGE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG-NOZB.

- i l r-age T0 MRS. IVIAGGTE M. LITTEN, Glfi ORANGE, CALIFORNIA.

TRAILER connnorron.

To aZZ whom it may camera:

it lrnown that 1, TBA EUGENE LITTEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orange, in the county of Grange and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trailer which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a trailer coupling. principal object of this invention a connectirn between a tractor and which is yieldable means for absorbing severe shocks which strains incident thereto.

ther objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated, by Way of exfiunple, in the accompanying drawings in w Figure 1 is a view in perspective illustrating the details of the draw-bar.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective illustratin the draw-bar link which is secured to the tractor.

Fig. 3 is a View in side elevation illustrating the assembled coupling and further disclosing fragmentary portions of a tractor and trailer.

Referring more particularly to the draws, 10 indicates a tractor, which may be a vehicle of any desired design and which is intended to draw a trailer 11. vehicles are detachably connected pling 12, comprising a draw-bar 13 and a draft link 14; The draft link is formed of a shackle-plate l5 pivotally mounted for vertical swinging This bolt extends through an eye in the shackle and also through ears upon bolting brackets 17 and 18. The brackets are of a design which will readily permit them to be i he Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed November 18, 192?. Serial Ho.

Patented slug. 2%, 1 cancer.

and are secured at one end. to the opposite sides of a spacing block 24. The openings 20 and 21 occur in the opposite free ends of the plates. At this point the plates are sufficiently separated to allow the shackleplate and its pin 19 to between the plates and thereafter be clamped in position y a clamping lever 25. This lever is pivotally supported above the plate 22 by a U-strap 26 which is fixed to the plate 23 and extends upwardly along the opposite sides of both plates to carry a pivot pin 27.

clamping lug 28 is formed as a part of the clamping lever. and may be forced downwardly against the plate to draw the two plates together.

Secured rigidly to the spacing block 2% and extending in longitudinal alineinent to the plates 22 and 23 is a cylindrical drawshaft 29 which passes through a ll-shaped mounting bracket 30 adapted to be fastened to the trailer. This bracket slidably and rotatably and yieldingly supports the shaft and is reinforced between its parallel extensions 31 and 32 by a spacing pipe 33 through which the shaft extends. A re bound spring 34 is interposed between the adjacent faces of the spacing block 24 and the bracket extension 31, while a similar rebound spring 35 is disposed with one end against the opposite face of extension 32 and confined upon the shaft by a nut 8? and a washer 36.

Th draw-bar construction 13 and the coupling construction 12 trailer 11, and the springs 36iand 35 form a fier or equalizer connection between the tractor and the trailer. The draw-bar 29 rotatably mounted in hearings in the bracket extensions 31 and 32 forms a rocking connection which allows the tractor and trailer to rock transversely independently of each other.

In operation, the tractor be connected by placing between the free ends of the clamping plates 22 and 23 and the extensions of pin 19 in register with the openings 20 and 21. The lever 25 is then swung downwardly in the direction of the arrow a-, as indicated in Fig. 1, and the two plates forced together y the action of the clamping lug 28. This will cause the pin to extend through the openings in the plates and provide the trailer and trailer may the shackle-plate l5 with horizontal swinging movement 

